Automatic valve.



m. 707,395 PatentedAug. I9, I902. rucunns.

AUTOMATIC VALVE.

(Application fl'led Oct 26. 1000.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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No. 707,395. Patented Aug. l9, I902.

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AUTOMATIC VALVE.

(Application filed on. 26, 1900.

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-ATE T FICIE' NELSON CURTIS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE SUMNER dc GOODVVIN COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 707,395, dated August 19, 1902.

Application filed October 26, 1900. Serial No. 341497. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom it may concern.- Be it known that I, NELSON CURTIS, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Valves,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic valves which are operated by the pressure of the water or other liquid in the pipes controlled by the valves and whereby an automatic intermitting discharge of the water or other liquid from said pipes is obtained.

This invention is adaptable to automatic I5 flushing devices, and more particularly to flushing devices for sanitary appliances, but especially to automatic flushing devices for urinals, whereby a predetermined and adj ustable amount of flushing-water is automatically supplied to the urinal at predetermined and adjustable times. The invention, however, may be used for other purposes than in flushing devices, as will be understood by a further description of the same.

The invention consists of the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, as will be fully described hereinafter and claimed, and it is carried out substantially as illustrated on the accompanying drawings, forming an essential part of this specification,andwhereon myimproved valve has been illustrated in the principal views as applied to an automatic flushing device.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved valve as applied to a flushing device. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section of the device shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 represent, respectively, cross-section's on the lines AB, C D, E F, and G H shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 represents a longitudinal section of the invention as arranged for a different purpose.

Like characters refer to like parts wherever they occur on the different parts of the drawings.

The casing of the valve is preferably made from a central portion 1, having inlet-opening 2 and outlet-opening 3, separated from each other by a partition 4, and is also made from the tubular portions 5 and 6, secured to the portion 1 in such a manner as to be in open communication with the inlet 2 and outlet 3, respectively, being provided with the respective caps 7 and 8, substantially as shown,

or it may be made in any other equivalent manner,whereby two separated chambers are formed, one being in open communication with the inlet and the other with the outlet of the casing.

A cylindrical tube 9 is secured within a perfor-ation in the partition 4 and extends on each side of said partition, the part extending toward the end cap 7 preferably extendin g nearly to said cap, leaving sufiicient space between the end of the tube 9 and cap 7 to al 6 low water from the tube 5 to freely enter the open end of the tube 9 without being cramped in any way, while the part of the tube 9 which extends toward the end cap 8 extends but a short distance from said partition, being provided near the partition with aseries of ports 10, arranged annularly around said tube and forming communicatiori between the interiors of the tubes 9 and 6. A sleeve 11 is placed upon the exterior of the end of the tube 9, extending toward the cap 8, which sleeve can be rotated upon the tube 9 and is provided with ports 12, which may be turned so as to coincide with the ports 10 or so as to cover more or less of said ports 10, and thereby acts as a means to regulate the freedom of the communication between the tube 9 and tube (3 through the ports 10 by varying the size of the unobstructed opening of said ports for a purpose to be clearly understood by acomplete description of the device.

The tubes 6 and 9 constitute cylinders of different cross-sectional areas, within which the respective pistons 13 and 14 reciprocate, which pistons are connected or coupled to gether by means of the bars 15, so as to move in unison with each other. The piston 13 divides the interior of the tube 6 into two chambers 16 and 17, the latter being in open communication with the outlet 3 at all times. A 5

chambered cavity 18 is formed in the face of the piston 13 which is toward the capS, and a contracted port or passage 19 forms open communication between the cavity 18 and Thus the cavity 18 and port 19 I00 chamber 17.

form communication between the chambers 16 and 17, which communication is controlled by a valve 20, seated on a seat formed on the outer end of said cavity 18 and having its stem 21 extending through the pistons 13 and 14 and beyond the piston 14 into the tube 9, where the end of the stem is provided with a spring 22, extending beyond the end of the stem for a purpose to be described hereinafter. The valve 20 and cavity 18 have a cross-sectional area greatly in excess of the area of the port 19 for a purpose to be understood by a complete description of the operation of the device. A packing 23 prevents the passage of water around the valve-stem 21 from the tube 9 into the chamber 17, and this packing also produces sufficient friction on the valvestem to prevent it from moving except when desired.

In order to reduce the expense of manufacture and the weight of the valve 20 and valvestem 21, I prefer to construct the valve-stem wholly or in part from tube, as shown.

A port 24 is formed through the valve 20 and valve-stem 21, which port forms communication between the tube 9 and the chamber 16 and is open at all times. In order to contract the port 24 the desired amount and also to provide means whereby this contracted port may be prevented from becoming clogged by small particles lodging therein from the water which passes through said port, I place a rod 25 in said port, which rod nearly fills said port and is of a greater length than the length of the port, so as to project therefrom and to be moved lengthwise therein when the pistons reach each end of their reciprocations, and thereby to dislodge any dirt tending to clog the port. This contracted area of the port 24 remaining free and open after the rod 25 has been inserted in said port must never equal the area of the port 19 from the cavity 18 in order to produce the desired operation of the device, as hereinafter described.

In order to limit the movement of the pistons toward the cap 8, I provide the valve 20 with an adjustable projection 26, which is adjusted so as to project more or less from said valve and which comes into contact with the cap 8 and closes the valve 20 sooner or later in the movement of the pistons toward the cap 8, and thereby limits the movement of the pistons in that direction, as will be described in the description of the operation of the device.

With the various parts of the device in the positions shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings the operation is as follows: Water under pressure from. the inlet 2 passes through the tube 5 into the tube 9, filling said tube 9, and a portion of the water passes through the ports 10 and chamber 17 out of the outlet to the article to be flushed by the flushing device. As the ports 10 are of a reduced area from any passage through which the water passes before reaching said ports, it will be seen that a certain pressure is always upon the water in the tube 9, which will cause water to pass through the contracted port 24 into the chamber 16 and will create a pressure in said chamber, which will act upon the piston 13, which piston is of increased area over the piston 14, exposed to the pressure of the water in the tube 9. This pressure in the chamber 16 on the piston 13 will gradually move the pistons 13 and 14 toward the opposite ends of the respective tubes 6 and 9, within which they reciprocate. As the piston 14 is moved in the tube 9 it gradually covers the ports 10 and by closing the communication between the tube 9 and outlet 3 through the ports 10 prevents any further discharge of flushingwater to the article to be flushed. This closing of the ports 10 will cause an increase in the pressure on the water in the tube 9, and consequently increase the rapidity of the movement of the pistons 13 and 14. The pistons continue their movement toward the cap 7, and when they nearly reach the end of the stroke in that direction the rod 25 comes in contact with the cap 7, a continued movement of the piston causing said rod to be moved longitudinally within the port 24 to free said port from any dirt which may have accumulated within said port. A still further continuance of the movement of the pistons toward the cap 7 will cause the spring 22 to engage the cap 7, be gradually compressed, and increase in its resistance against a further movement of the pistons in that direction until this increased resistance exceeds that of the pressure of the water in the chamber 16 against the valve 20 or until the end of the valve 21, coming into contact with the cap 7, has stopped any further movement of the Valve and valve-stem in that direction, when the influence of said spring 22 or the further movements of the piston in that direction will cause the valve to be raised from its seat on the cavity 18 and allow the water under pressure from the chamber 16 to enter said cavity, and thus act equally on both sides of said valve, which will allow said spring to immediately open said valve to its full extent. This opening of the valve will allow the discharge of the water from the chamber 16, through the cavity 18 and contracted port 19, to the chamber 17 and out through the outlet 3 to the article to be flushed. The discharging of the water from the chamber 16 relieves the piston 13 from the pressure which has moved it toward the cap 7 and allows the pressure of the water in the tube 9, acting on the piston 14 in said tube, to reverse the movements of the pistons and to move them toward the cap 8. When the pistons nearly reach the limit of their movement toward the cap 8, the piston 14 will begin to uncover the ports 10 and allow water to be discharged through said ports and outlet 3 and flush the article to be flushed. This opening of the ports 10 will cause a reduction in the pressure on the water in the tube 9 and will consequently decrease the speed of the movements of the pistons 13 and 14. The pistons will continue their movement in this direction, causing the projection 26 to engage the cap 8 and stop the movement of the valve 20 in unison with said pistons. The pistons will continue their movement until the seat on the end of the cavity 18 is brought into engagement with the valve 20 and closes said cavity, preventing any further movement of the pistons in that direction, as the small quantity of water which has been passing through the contracted port 24 will begin to accumulate within the chamber 16 and reverse the movement of the piston. The parts of the device will then be in the positions shown in the drawings, ready to repeat the operation above described. During the latter part of the movement of the pistons in the direction toward the cap 8 and after the piston 14 has opened the ports 10 said piston 14E moves within the extension of the tube 9 in the chamber 16, and the amount of this movement, and consequently the duration of the flushing by Water passing through the ports 10, can be adjusted by the adjustments of the length of the projection 26. Thus it will be seen that the projection 26 forms a means of adjustment of the flow of the flushing-water through the ports 10, while the sleeve 11, with its ports 12, forms a means whereby the amount of flushing-water discharged during the time the flushing-water is flowing through these ports is regulated by the adjustment of the sleeve 11 on the tube 9. As the port 241: can be contracted to any desired extent by the introduction of the rod 25 of a proper size and will be prevented from clogging by the longitudinal movement of said rod in said port, it will be understood that the-movements of the pistons toward the cap 7, which is caused by the water which has passed through said contract ed port into the chamber 16, canbe made slowly or quickly, as desired, by substituting a rod 25 of a different size for that shown, which will contract the port more or less, as required.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated an arrangement of my improved valve to cause a series of intermitting flows of liquid through the valve, which fiows may be used to operatea whistle fog-horn, or other signal. Inthis arrangement I have shown a series of smaller pistons 14, which move within and from the tube 9, intermittingly opening and closing communication between the inlet 2 and outlet 3 through the ports 10, which are made in the tube 9 on the inlet side of the partition 4 instead of on the outlet side, as shown in Fig. 2, and through the end of the tube 9 into the chamber 17 from the open end of said tube 9 and out of the outlet 3. The chambered cavity 18 and its port 19, forming the dischargeoutlet from the chamber 16, are made in the end cap 8 and are connected with an independent waste-pipe from the pipe connected to the outlet 3. The valve 20 is seated upon the end of the cavity 18 and causes the closing of the communication between the chamber 16 and cavity 18 when the piston 13 engages a projection 27 on the valve-stem 21. The seating of the valve 20 causes the spring 22 on the opposite end of the valve-stem to be compressed between the bearing 28 for said stem, made on the end of the tube 9, and a collar 29 on the valve-stem. A suitable yielding detent or catch 30 engages the valvestem and holds the valve 20 upon its seat with sufficient friction to prevent it from being withdrawn during the movement of the pistons in a direction toward the end cap 7 and until the extreme end piston 14 engages a suitable stop or projection 31 on the valvestem, when a further movement of the pistons in that direction will overcome the fric tion produced by the catch 30 and allowing the spring to expand will withdraw the valve from its seat and form free communication between the chamber 16 and its discharge-' outlet. The port 24: is made outside of and around the valve-stem, and the valve-stem performs the office of the rod 25 (shown in Fig. 2) in order to prevent the port 24 from becoming clogged.

It will be understood that if the parts are in the positions shown on the drawings and the pistons 13 and 14 begin to move toward the end cap 7 free and open communication between the inlet 2 and outlet 3 through the ports 10, tube 9, and chamber 17 will be established as soon as one piston 14 begins to open the port 10 to the outlet and until the next piston of the series enters the open end of the tube 9 from the chamber 17 and closes said communication. During this time fluid from the inlet will be discharged from the outlet and may be used for any desired purpose; but this discharge will be cut off as soon as the second piston let enters the tube 9 and will remain cut off until this second piston begins to open the port 10, when a second discharge will be made. It will thus be seen that there will be an intermitting discharge and cutting ofi of the discharge as each successive piston 14. of the series is brought to operate upon the port 10 and open end of the tube 9. When the movements of the pistons are reversed, it will be seen that a similarintermitting action will be produced and that by changing the sizes and relative distances between the piston 1 1 the duration of the discharges and the intervals between the discharges may be adjusted or regulated as desired. It will be understood that steam, air,

water, or other fluid may be controlled by this my improved valve.

Having thus fully described the nature, construction, and operation of myinvention, I wish to secure by Letters Patent and claim-- 1. In an automatic valve, a casing having inlet and outlet openings, a cylindrical chamber at each end of said casing, said chambers being of diiferent cross-sectional areas, pistons in said chambers, coupled together so as to move in unison, a chamber intermediate the pistons, the smaller endchamber in open communication with the inlet-opening, the intermediate chamber in open communication with the outlet-opening, ports forming communication between the smaller end chamber and intermediate chamber controlled by the movements of the pistons, a cavity and contracted port forming a discharge-passage for the larger end chamber, a valve controlling communication between the larger end chamber and said cavity, and a spring to open said valve, for the purpose set forth.

2. In an automatic valve, a casing having inlet and outlet openings, a cylindrical chamber at each end of said casing said chambers being of diiferent cross-sectional areas, pistons one in each of said chambers coupled together so as to move in unison, a chamber intermediate the pistons, the smaller end chamber in open communication with the inletopening, the intermediate chamber in open communication with the outlet openings, ports forming communication between the smaller end chamber and intermediate chamber controlled by the movements of the pistons, a cavity forming communication between the larger end chamber and intermediate chamber, a valve controlling communication between the larger end chamber and said cavity, and a spring to open said valve, for the purpose set forth.

In an automatic valve, a casing having inlet and outlet openings, a cylindrical chamber at each end of said casing said chambers being of difierent cross-sectional areas, pistons one in each of said chambers coupled together so as to move in unison, a chamber intermediate the pistons, the smaller end chamher in open communication with the inletopening, the intermediate chamber in open communication with the outlet-opening, communication between the smaller end chamber and intermediate chamber controlled by the movement of the pistons, a cavity and contracted port forming a discharge-passage for the larger end chamber, a valve controlling communication between the larger end chamber and said cavity, and a spring to open said valve, for the purpose set forth.

4. In an automatic flushing device, a casing having inlet and outlet openings, a chamber at each end of said casing said chambers being of diiferent cross-sectional areas, pistons in said chambers coupled together so as to move in unison, a chamber intermediate the pistons in open communication with the outlet-opening, the smaller end chamber in open communication with the inlet-opening, ports forming communication between the smaller end chamber and the intermediate chamber through which the flushing-water passes, the piston in the smaller end chamber controlling said ports, and means to cause the reciprocation of said pistons in their chambers, for the purpose set forth.

5. In an automatic valve, a casing having inlet and outlet openings, a chamber at each end of said casing said chambers being of different cross-sectional areas, pistons in said chambers coupled together so as to move in unison, a chamber intermediate the pistons in open communication with the outlet-opening, the smaller end chamber in open communication with the inlet-opening, ports forming communication between the smaller end chamber and the intermediate chamber, the piston in the smaller end chamber controlling said communication, a regulating device to regulate the size of said communication, and means to cause the reciprocation of said pistons in their chambers, whereby the amount discharged through the outlet-opening at each operation of the valve is regulated, for the purpose set forth.

6. In an automatic valve, a casing having inlet and outlet openings, a chamber at each end of said casing said chambers being of different cross-sectional areas, a piston in each of said chambers, coupled together so as to move in unison, a chamber intermediate the pistons in open communication with the outlet-opening, the smaller end chamber in open communication with the inlet-opening, ports forming communication between the smaller end chamber and the intermediate chamber, the piston in the smaller end chamber controlling said port, a sleeve having ports therein to control the size of the unobstructed opening through the ports which form communication between the smaller end chamber and the intermediate chain ber,and means to cause the reciprocation of said pistons in their chambers,whereby the amount of discharge at each operation of the valve is regulated by the adjustment of said sleeve, for the purpose set forth.

'7. In an automatic valve, a casing having inlet and outlet openings, a chamber at each end of said casing said chambers being of different cross-sectional areas, a piston in each of said chambers coupled together so as to move in unison, a chamber intermediate the pistons in open communication with the out let-opening, the smaller end chamber in open communication with the inlet-opening, communication between the smaller end chamber and the intermediate chamber controlled by the movements of the piston in the smaller end chamber, a port through said pistons forming communication between the two end chambers to cause the movement of said pis tons in one direction, a rod within said port movable longitudinally therein to contract said port and to prevent it from clogging, a discharge-passage from the larger end chamber to .control the movement of the pistons in the opposite direction, a valve controlling said discharge-passage, and means to operate said valve, for the purpose set forth.

8. In an automatic valve, a casing having inlet and outlet openings, a chamber at each end of said casing said chambers being of different cross-sectional areas, a piston in each of said chambers coupled together so as to move in unison, a chamber intermediate the pistons, a port through said pistons forming communication between the end chambers to cause the movement of said pistons in one direction, an outlet passage from the larger chamber, a valve controlling said ontlet-passage, and means to operate said valve to cause the movement of the pistons in the opposite direction, for the purpose set forth.

9. In an automatic valve, a casing consisting of a central portion having inlet and outlet openings and a partition separating said openings, two tubes attached to said central portion, end caps on said tubes, and a central tube attached within a perforation in and extending on each side of said partition open at its ends, two pistons of different areas coupled together to move in unison, one piston reciprocating in one of the two tubes attached to said central portion and the other piston reciprocating in said central tube, a chamber formed between the two pistons in open communication with the outlet-opening, ports through the central tube forming communication between said tube and outlet-opening, a sleeve regulating the size of the unobstructed openings through said ports, a cavity in the piston of the greater area and a contracted port forming communication between the two sides of said piston, a valve controlling the entrance to said cavity of increased area over the port from said cavity, a valve-stem for said valve extending through and beyond the opposite piston, a spring on said valve-stem, a port forming communication through the piston and between the chambers on opposite sides thereof, and a rod to contract said port and move longitudinally therein at each end of the movements of the pistons, all combined, for the purpose set forth.

10. In an automatic valve, a casing having inlet and outlet openings, a chamber at each,

end of said casing and of diii'erent cross-sectional areas, pistons coupled together and reciprocating, in said chambers, the smaller chamber in open communication with the inlet-opening, communication between the end chambers to cause the reciprocation of the pistons in one direction, a discharge-passage from the larger end chamber, a contracted port in said passage, a valve controlling said passage and of greater area than the contracted port, means operated by the reciprocations of said pistons to open and close said valve, and a spring to open said valve to its fullest extent when raised from its seat by said pistons, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NELSON CURTIS.

Witnesses:

IIENRY CI-IADBO'URN, CortA J. CHADIBOURN. 

